Safety-stirrup.



No.889,'0 18. PATEN'TED MAY 26,1908.

W. JONES.

SAFETY STIRRUP. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 16, 1907.

null/l III '1 nuewfoz Walk/# 072 WILLIAM JONES, OF HELENA, MONTANA.

SAFE TY-STIRRUP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 16, 1907.

Patented May 26, 1908.

Serial No. 384,002.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM JoNns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clark and State of Montana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Stirrups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved stirrup having a detachable lower portion which becomes automatically detached and released from the upper portion when such lower portion is turned to an angular position with reference to the upper portion by the foot of the rider when the latter is thrown or falls from his horse, to release the riders foot and an elevation of the same, partly in section,

and showing the lower portion of the stirrup at an angle to and detached from the upper portion. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a plan view, showing the upper portion of the stirrup.

My improved safety stirrup comprisesthe upper portion 1 which is attached to the stirrup strap and the lower portion 2 which is detaohably and pivotally connected to the upper portion. Each of the said portions of the stirrup is preferably made of metal. The upper portion is substantially in form of the inverted letter U to provide an arch 3 and a pair of depending arms 4. The arch is provided with a pair of vertical openings 56 for the reception of the doubled lower portion of a stirrup strap. Said stirrup strap is not here shown, as the same is of usual form, well understood by those skilled in devices of this character. Each of the arms 4 is bifurcated to provide a vertical longitudinal slot 7 open at its lower end and at the front and rear sides of said arm. At the opposite sides of said slots are circular countersunk recesses 8 providing flanges 9 at the bottoms of said recesses and the lower ends of said arms 4, said flanges being concentric with the said recesses and provided at their front and rear sides with clearance notches 10. In the upper side of each slot 7 are studs 11 which are engaged by the curved ends of the springs 12.

The lower portion or member 2 of the stirrup is U-shaped to provide arms 13, each of which has its upper end rabbeted on opposite sides to provide a tongue 14 flattened on opposite sides and adapted to enter one of the slots 7. The said tongue has a notch 15 in its upper end to engage the central projecting portion 16 of one of the springs and each of the said tongues is further provided on opposite sides with laterally extending wings 17 which, in effect, form broadened central portions of said tongue and terminate at their lower ends short of the shoulders 18 to form clearance openings 19 for the reception of the flanges or shoulders 9 of the arms 4 of the upper member of the stirrup.

It will be observed that when the lower member 2 is at an angle with reference to the up er member so that the wings 17 coincide wit the notches or openings 10, such lower member may be connected to or disconnected from such upper member, and it will be further understood that when said members are connected together and the win s 17 of the lower member bear on the shou ders or flanges 9 of the upper member, said wings and shoulders, together with the recesses 8 of the upper member in which such wings operate, eflect hinge or pivotal connections between the upper and the lower members. The springs 12 snap into the notches or recesses 15 of the tongues of the lower member of the stirrup to normally hold the lower member in vertical position, in alinement with the upper member, but not so firmly, but that, in the event the rider should fall from his horse or be thrown, his foot will cause the lower member of the stirrup to turn angularly with reference to the u per member so that the wings 17 will comcide with the clearance openings 10 of the upper member, whereupon said lower member will become entirely detached from the upper member of the stirrup and the foot of the rider will be released.-

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 2- 1. A stirrup of the class described comprising an up er member and a lower member detachab y connected thereto,. one of said members having recesses in opposite sides thereof providing stop shoulders, such stop shoulders having clearance openings,

the other member having tongues to enter such recesses and laterally extending Wings on such tongues to enter such clearance openings and bear on such stop shoulders.

2. A stirrup of the class described comprising an up er member, and a lower member detachaby connected thereto, one of said members having recesses in opposite sides thereof providing stop shoulders, such stop shoulders having clearance openings, the other member having tongues to enter such recesses and laterally extending Wings Vitnesses on such tongues to enter such clearance openngs and bear on such stop shoulders, the first mentioned member having spring lock 15 ing devices and the tongues of the last mentioned member having notches for engagement of such spring locking devices.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM JONES.

THEODORE SARTER, L. V. JACKSON. 

